


They're Supposed to Hate Me.

by cjg



Series: Much Much Later [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Bard Syldor, Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Future Fic, Healing, Light Angst, Romantic Fluff, quiet moments, sorry if it's kinda shitty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-11-10
Packaged: 2018-08-22 01:55:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8268329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjg/pseuds/cjg
Summary: Not abandoned by any means it just needs a lot of editing before it can work with the rest of my writing. Vex and Percy have to play within the rules of actual diplomacy or the one where Syldor feels cornered by a human he should actually get to know.  And yeah Syldor's going to show some depth.Written for ledamemangociana's birthday by her perc'ahlia anon. Based on this  http://ledamemangociana.tumblr.com/post/151418173376/happy-birthday-so-this-was-originally-going-to





	1. Chapter 1

When her thoughts cause her to tense up in Percy's arms for the fifth time since climbing into bed, Percy kisses the back of her neck and once again chooses to say, for what feels like the millionth time today, that everything will be fine, which in Vex's mind is never the correct answer to something like this situation.

She growls in response then turns around so that she's laying on her back and leaves him alone on the other side of the large unfamiliar bed.

While she does feel bad for keeping Percy awake when they have to be up early, she is in the middle of processing these emotions and she just can’t turn them off even if she wanted to.

She should have known her father would be here. High Warden Tirelda rarely ever leaves Syngorn these days and even she will admit that he is probably the best ambassador the city has ever had. It makes sense that he would be here representing Syngorn at the World Leaders Summit J’mon Sa Ord organized in Ank'Harel.

Percy reaches around her, taking her shoulder and pulling her towards him, turning her around so that she faces him again. She doesn't fight it, she trusts that in this moment Percy will say the right thing.

He bridges the distance between them, getting close. So close that her head rests on his shoulder, his arms wrap around her back and his hands slip under her sleep shirt. One hand settles on her hip but one moves higher and slowly starts to rub back and forth along her spine.

They both stay silent for a moment and she focuses on they way his warm exhales make the hairs on the top of her head flutter and how the soft silk sheets feel heavenly on her bare legs.

“What can I do to help you dear?” There’s her Percy always asking the right questions. She lifts her face to look at his. She sees the sincerity and the love in his eyes that she’s grown to expect in moments like this. There’s a shadow of determination mixed in, eyebrows furrowed, his expression is filled with concern.

Answering him quickly is not a good idea, she needs to think clearly about what she will allow Percy to endure on her behalf.

If she’s honest with herself, she wants to not see Syldor for the rest of the summit. She wants to leave in five days as planned. Reunite with Trinket, see her brother and Keyleth and then go home to Whitestone.

The only part of that that Percy can even potentially help her with right now will be quite a sacrifice of his time if he is successful, it also means that she will be without him for a large portion of the next few days.

She can handle being called daughter when they meet and while it would be better if they had not been given rooms close to each other on the same floor of Cerulean Palace that can be endured for the next five days, what she does not want to deal with the most is his actual presence, the feeling she gets whenever she sees Syldor in a crowd, it makes her feel rotten, makes her remember how she felt when she was living in Syngorn, which is something akin to worthless. Which she knows she is not.

All day she kept running into Syldor, it's like he actually wants to see her. The Cerulean Palace is large enough and the meetings they attended hosted in rooms where he didn't have to be so close if he didn't choose to be.

She knows it’s selfish but she has been elected as a speaker for the fourth day of the summit and while isolationism is a topic she knows quite a lot about she has to prepare.

This is quite unfair to Percy and she will make it up to him later but right now this is what she needs. “Would you consider keeping him out of my face until after my speech in three days? I swear if I have to listen to him speak about the advantages of isolationism I will scream. How can he be an ambassador and still believe in isolationism? It is the worst sort of hypocrisy, why is he even here if that’s what he truly believes?”

She won't have the man who spoke about the merits of isolationism when she was younger getting into her head.

She feels Percy breathe in deeply and she stops talking, knowing he’s about to speak, "Done, three days at Syldor’s heels to keep him out of your sight, got it.” He takes his hands off her back and side, for a moment she misses the soothing sway along her back.

He gently touches her ears then moves to cup both sides of her face. "I'm going to miss you but I might actually enjoy this, to be honest. Riling up people who deserve it has been a pastime of mine since I was young.”

There's a moment of silence and then laughter erupts from the both of them. Vex knows how much he loved messing with her father the few times they've met previously and spends a moment thinking about what sort of psychological warfare Percy will think up this time.

They calm down slowly, heaving for air, they were laughing so hard. She moves to get upright to better catch her breath and he follows her. They situate themselves against the headboard, pillows at their backs.

Once she calms down she can feel her thoughts slowing and her eyelids begin to drop. He takes his arm and puts it around her, settling it on top of her shoulder. She shuffles closer so their sides touch. Percy begins to place small kisses along her jawline and up her ear. She relaxes into his touch, letting her eyes drop even further.

After quite a long time, he slows down, kissing her a final time, this time quite close to her lips, before interrupting their quiet with hushed words. "Vex we should probably go to sleep."

Her grunt in response must sound like an approval because he moves them, her half awake form allowing her body to be positioned close to Percy, nestling thoroughly into his side with most of her body.

There is one last thing she has to say before she goes to bed. She's been thinking about this in the back of her mind since first seeing their bedroom and she wants to tell Percy this now.

Making a halfway intelligible thought move from her brain to out of her mouth takes all of her concentration but she does manage to say, "You should know that I'm looking forward to having you on these silk sheets."

She would normally lift her head and wink in his direction after saying something like that but for now, she’ll settle for kissing him on the chest and the feel of Percy tensing beside her and holding her just a little bit tighter.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this Syldor is well over 100 years old, it's part of the reason why he refers to Percy as "boy" in his head the other reason is that it's an insult.
> 
> When I started to write this chapter Syldor gave me trouble. I had a lot of problems getting the characterization to where I liked it and I could not settle quickly on what class he would be and that may or may not be important in future chapters, I haven't decided yet. Well anyway, I always pictured Syldor, before we met him, as some sort of spell caster but since episode 60 that has kind of gone to the shits. So, it was kind of like starting from the ground floor and working my way up based on what we know.
> 
> I had to get into his head. Taking into account all that we've heard from the twins, Devana, Velora, the story of Vox Machina, and the man himself, what we saw with our own eyes in episode 60, and what we can conclude and instinctually know based on all of the above and I've come to the conclusion that he's a bard. 
> 
> Now stay with me on this, he's an ambassador who uses his words for the betterment of his city, who can cause the whole party to feel things within ten seconds of opening his mouth. He has a smooth deliberate voice that I can just tell is made for music but what kind of music you say... 
> 
> I think while he can play multiple instruments and can sing well, he prefers to whistle.
> 
> His voice is his power and he's comfortable using it, it's also how he reads other's not just through their actions and mannerisms but through their voice.
> 
> Reading mangocianamarch's The Apple from the Tree also helped me with Syldor and gave me so many ideas. Go read that fic here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/8330218/chapters/19079590

When he leaves his room, the human Lord is standing on the other side of the hallway, leaning against the wall, waiting to greet him. He only has a moment to be startled before the conversation begins.

"Ah, Ambassador, I trust you had a good night's rest?" His tone is even and light, no hint of malice in the boy's features, how odd for a member of their group. Taking a moment to close and lock the door, gathering his thoughts takes a little longer than it should have, this is quite the surprise.

"I did Lord de Rolo, may I ask why you were waiting for me outside of my room?" Keeping to the script of expected politeness is unnerving in this circumstance. Directly to the point then. It'd be easier if Lord de Rolo did show some disdain, at least then he'd know how to react.

That the human is alone is surprising. It is doubtful that his daughter would let a conversation occur between them without her present.

He had rather thought that they were some sort of well, "political power couple" is the term that reached him most recently, ruling Whitestone together with his sister and a council of the people.

That was information from a Whitestone painter that traveled through Syngorn a few months ago, it might have just been idle gossip.

It would be a shame if the information turned out not to be true, Velora did like the idea that her sister was in love with a lord and that her brother was married to a princess.

"If I'm being honest with you Ambassador, Vex has abandoned all intention of attending most of the today's meetings as they are about topics she has little interest in and has sequestered herself in our room to work on her speech." There's is a note of pride in his voice.

More interesting are the boy's words. So it is "our room" very interesting. If he can be read so easily it is a wonder he still has power, no matter how beloved his family was and how awful the Brianwods, no the Briarwoods, were.

"I was rather wondering if you wouldn't mind my company for the day. There are a few people here who we're acquainted with my father and brother and attempted to speak with me about them yesterday. I would rather avoid those probing questions if at all possible."

"So you would submit yourself to my questions instead, how interesting. That says very much about you doesn't it Lord de Rolo, and not just to me I should think."

"Only that I would rather spend time getting to know my future father in law than rehash old wounds about the death of my family. I've laid them to rest. They are gone and no one here really did know them. They do not have the right to my thoughts or emotions on the subject." The boy's voice is strained now, real emotion, not a topic of conversation he should approach then.

His next thought leads him back to the most important part in his opinion, father in law, well that does make things slightly different.

"I would not be completely adverse to your company Lord de Rolo. Like my daughter, these particular meetings hold no interest to me, what do I know about city infrastructure and maintenance. But, I have to attend them anyway if only for show, you know all about that don't you, putting on a show."

The boy's face does not give anything away at that moment. Maybe he's better at this than previously given credit for or maybe he's just stupid.

"I had words with the guards after you left Syngorn, they confirmed what I had already suspected, you titled my daughter that day, in my home and tried to pass it off as something that you had already done, if that isn't putting on a show then I don't know what is, and I would know, believe me."

It was something of a wonder that this group bested the conclave when they can't even keep their mouths shut about important matters while on the open street.

A slight smile is on the boy's face and there is a tone of happiness in his voice, "I have been known to be a little dramatic, but in hindsight, that day was one luckiest of my life."

Now the boy's drifted off into his own head.

"Lord de Rolo..." softly at first so not to frighten the boy.

Moments pass, no reaction.

"Lord de Rolo!" much louder and closer to the boy's ear.

The boy comes back to this plane of existence and seems embarrassed. Good, he should be.

"Lord de Rolo, we should head to the meeting hall don't you think?"

"Yes, we should. Please, ambassador, do call me Percival." a handshake is offered but he can't make himself take the boy's hand.

"Percival, we should really be going." He can see the shock on the boy's face from his refusal, his eyes wide.

Leaving him there and heading down the hallway he makes it past several doorways before Percival catches up to him. He can hear the boy's footsteps behind him.

Softly and closer than expected the boy says, "One moment, we have some time before the meeting will start, please wait here."

He watches as the boy moves through a door on their left. The door does not fully close, leaving a portion of the magically illuminated room visible from the hallway.

From what he can see it is a mirror image of his own. A large desk, two chairs and a table close to a set of large windows on one side of the room and presumably on the other, two large armoires flanking both sides of the bed. All of the furniture is made of a rich wood with inlaid jewels and colored glass adorning it.

He can see the back of Vex'ahlia's head from his position, sitting at the desk. Large tomes and a stack of writing paper out in front of her.

He hears Percival's voice before he sees him moving toward Vex'ahlia. "Vex, your father and I are leaving."

He's standing in front of her now, further into the room than she is. "Pace yourself and do stop to have a meal at some point."

Leaning in towards her, he says quietly, but loud enough for his elven ears to hear, "I haven't forgotten what you said last night."

Percival kisses Vex'ahlia's temple quickly and leaves her with a smile, only to be pulled back down by his lapels. She keeps Percival down for a few moments then releases him, smoothes out his clothing and the pair share a long lingering look.

It feels wrong watching this moment between them, the look Percival has on his face is one of utter devotion, he can only assume that his daughter's expression mirrors it.

He would have never though that this is how they were together based on their behavior yesterday. From what little he saw they seemed very detached from each other, speaking to different people, sitting apart from one another, maybe they are better at this than he gave them credit for.

Before Percival's gaze leaves Vex'ahlia's face, retreating from this vantage point seems prudent.

"You are wonderful. Now stop hovering, get out of here, I have work to do." The amusement in her voice is clear.

Maybe thirty seconds pass before Percival leaves the room. He goes to close the door behind him but before the door completely shuts they both hear Vex'ahlia's voice ring out.

"Say hello to J'mon for me if you see them dear."

Percival looks toward him. A slight redness in his cheeks but the rest of his expression clearly saying, "I dare you to say something."

He knows he has no right to an opinion, but he is rather glad that he could say with all truth, that he is glad for his daughter and the human. They do seem well suited and, from what he just witnessed, quite enamored with each other.

"Percival, I do apologize for my rudeness earlier, do call me Syldor."

It takes a lot for him to offer his hand out to Percival, but he does.

The boy has a strong and confident handshake.

 

 


End file.
